Beet-harvester.



W. H. SMITH.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED IuLYaI, IQI/I.

W. H. SMITH.

BEET HARVESTER.

-`APPLlcAloN FILED 1uLY31,1914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

akku/nui W (ZM,

W. H. SMITH.

BEE

APPLICATION minlnv/31,1914.

T HARVESTER.

Patented My18,1915.'

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

WILLIAM H. SMITH, OF JULIET, AM()l\l'TA1\TA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. STEWART, OF OLIET, MONTANA.

Bunte-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1 8, 1915.

Application led July 31, 1914. Serial No. 854,338.

| T0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SMITH, a

citizen of the -United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of Carbon and State of Montana, have invented new and useful'lmproveniente in Beet-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.' This invention relates to machines for harvesting sugar beets, and it has particular reference to a motor propelled and driven organized machine for topping the beets, lifting the same from the ground, ele vating them to a cleaning device and discharging them through sai-d cleaning device upon a conveyor, whereby they are carried to some suitable receptacle, such as the box of a Wagon driven alongsidethe machine.

A particular object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the general construction and operation of the component parts of the device.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of the cleaning device and the parts operating in conjunction therewith.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction. and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described` and particularly pointed out in the claims.

InA the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a4 simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to' the precise structural details thei'ein exhibited,

' hutthat changes, alterations and modificaticnswithin the scope of the claims resorted to when desired. y

In the'drawinga Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. y2-is a top plan view ofthe same with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken -on the line 3--3 in F ig. 1. Fig. 4 is a seciso tional detail view taken on the line iii" Fi 8. Fir. 5 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 5--5 inv Fig. 2. Fig. G is a sectional detail view in Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference. .The frame of the lmachine which is suotaken on the line G-(S lstantially rectangular in 'shape and which Aof the limbs 25.

The approximately vertical arms e,

includes side members 10 is supported on front and rear axles 11, 12, the front axle being provided with steering' wheels 13 forming part of a steering equipment which includes a steeringrod 11 having a hand wheel 15. The rear axle 12 which is supported for rotation is provided with ground wheels 16 which are connected with the axle by ordinary clutch" or pawl and ratchet means, not specifically shown.. Supported on the frame above the front truck is a motor M which may be of any ordinary internal combustion type and which includes a driven line shaft 17 which is connected by a knuckle oint 18 with a transmission shaft 19, the latter being connected by bevel gearing 20, 21 with a counter shaft 22 which is thus driven and' 'from which motion is transmitted by chains 23 to the respective ground wheels. The latter, it will be understood, when the machine moves in a forward direction, will` serve to rotate the axle 12, but the axle will remain stationary when the machine is moved in a rearward direction. Diderentials and other well known aids to the proper transmission of power may he 4ents are well known, it is not necessary to illustrate or to particularly describe the same.

The side members of the frame are provided with keepers 21 affording guides for vertically slidable bars or limbs 25 that serve to support the beet lifters 26. At each side of the machine, adjacent to the front axle, is mounted a bracket or guide member 27 supporting avvertically slidable sleeve 2S which is connected by a bar 29 with one Bell cranks B, C, which are fulcrumed on the side members 10/of the frame, are provided with approximately horizontal arms 30, 3l which are connected by means of links 32, respectively, with the limbs 25 and'with the connecting bars 29 adjacent to the front ends oi the latter. 9' 35 of tending Ain opposite directions troniv a rock shaft 3S having hand lever 38 which is fulcrumed in convenient proximity to the operator whose seat 3f) is supported `onf'the frame. The hand lever -Sis provided with a stop member el!) engaging a rack segment 41 whereby the parts may be retained in adjusted position. lt will be readily seen that by means ofthe hand lever the plows ..i distance above the ground to avoidrlulling the edge thereof b v contact with` the soil.

or beet lifters QG may be vertically adjusted in ground engaging position or above the ground, as may be required. The constructo assist in retaining the beet lifters in adj usted position and also in transmitting draft from the forward portion of the connecting bar 29 to the said litters which will -thus be readily dragged through the soil.

The lifters may be of any convenient and well known construction that will enable them to lift the beets from the ground and ,transfer them to conveying mechanism to be f complisli the desired results.

presently hereinafter desfribed.

Supporting members in the nature of brackets L3 serve for theattachment of a topping device which comprises a diago- Anally disposed knife or cutter Ll-t having rearwardly extending arms 45 which are pivotally connected with the brackets 48. From the back of the knife or cuter extend obliquely disposed guide rods 4:6 over which the tops severed or detached by the cutter will be ldischarged laterally at one side of the machine and out of the path of the lifters. A tubular rock shaft or sleeve 17 which is mounted for oscillation on the rock shaft 3S is provided with radial arms 48 with which the upper ends of links '1l-9 are connected, the lower ends of each of said links being provided with a slot 118 enga-ged IThe rear axle-12 is provided with sprocket wheels 51, 52 capable of being connected therewith for rotation by spring actuated clutches 53, 5st, said clutches being Aoperable against the tension of their respective actuating springs 56, 5G by means of shipping levers 57, 58 which are connected together by a cross bar 59, the later being operatively connected through intermediate connecting rods and bell cranks with a hand lever 60 that is' fulcrumed in convenient proximity j to the seat of the driver who by means of said lever may simultaneously actuate the 30 two clutches, thereby" disconnecting the sprocket wheels 51, 52 from the axle which Ywill then rotate idly in the hubsof the The sprocket wheel 51 transmits motion thrqugha `chain 61 to a 85 sprocket wheels.

sprocket wheel 62 on a 'counter shaft 63, which latter supports a pair .of links 64 affording bearings for a shaft 65 on which the upper end of a conveyer casing 66 is mount-4 ed. The endless conveyer 67 is guided over 9o the shaft 65 and also around a shaft 6,8 near the lower end of the casing. AThe shafts 63 and 65 are provided with intermeshing spur wheels G9, 70, whereby motion in the proper direction will be transmitted through the shaft 65 to the endless conveyer. It will be observed that the links 64and the shaft 65 `v combine to constitute a yokewhereby they by a pin 49 connected with and extending from one of the arms The tubular rock shaft is also provided with a hand lever 50, whereby it may be rocked or oscillated, said leve'r being provided with a conventional stop member 50 engaging a segment rack 51 indicated in Fig. :2, and whereby the parts may be retained at variousadjustments. The arms thave extensions 52 that project forwardly of the knife or cutter 4.1i, said extensions being provided with vertical slots 53 wherein a shaft is mounted in such a fashion that it may be vertically adjusted within the limits of said slots. The shaft 5ft carries a roller 55 which constif tutes a gage roller and which by riding over the portions of the beets that project above the ground will raise `or lower the knife or cutter so that the tops will be evenly detached from the roots without danger of waste. It will be readily seen that the slots -i185 in the links 49 will permit the cutter to rise and fall within suilicient limits to ac- The topping device may, however, by manipulating the lever 50, be raised to an inoperative position when desired. The length of the slots 4S is so proportioned that the blade or cut ter 44 will ordinarily be supported ashort vupper end of the conveyer 'casing vis sup` ported for movement in an arc about'the axis 10Q of the shaft 63,'and it will also be' seen'that motion will be transmitted uninterruptedly I to the conveyor in any position of the conf,

veyer casing through the medium of the interineshing spur wheels 69 and 70, one 'of 105 vwhich is carried the shaft 68, while the otherv moves eoncentrically about said shaft and is, therefore, constantly in mesh with the first mentioned spur wheel. The shaft (i8 at the lower end of the eonveyer casing is `110 extended through the lifters 26 and through4 the limbs Q5 supporting said lifters with which the conveyer casing will thus beconnected so as to occupy the same relative position at various adjustments of the lifters. 1.15

lt follows that the conveyer will operate uninterruptedly at various vertical adjustments of the lifters with respect to the ground.

The endless conveyer 67 may be of any 120' suitable and convenient construction, but it has been shown as comprising an endless chainprovided with cross bars or slots l71, the latter having hook-shaped prongs `72' that serve to engage the beets as they "are l .lifted from the ground andto carry the same to the upper end of the conveyer casing. 4

An upright 7 3 rising from the frame serves to support one end of the tubular elbow or arcuate chute 74, the other or receiving-end of Which is overhung by the conveyer casing 66, so that the beets elevated by the conveyer will be discharged into said chute and be guided through the latter, being discharged thereby in a lateral direction. The discharge end of the chute 74 communicates With one end of adrum 7 5 lWhich is supported for rotation in an inclined position transversely of the frame of themachine, said drum being provided with tapering ends, as clearly seen in Fig 5,V and the walls thereof being foraminous, as also best seen in said figure. This drum constitutes a scouring` or cleaning device, Wherebyclay and dirt adhering to the beet roots VWill be detached and permited to sift through thenumerous openings or apertures 7 6, the beets being discharged at the lower end of the drum on to a conveyer, the casing of Which, 77, is supported on brackets 78, see Fig. 3. The scouringdrum 7 5 is provided With an annular gear 79 slightly beveled, as shown, and meshing with a pinion 8O on a sha-ft 81 vvvhich is supported-for rotation on the uprights 73 and 82 which support the rotary scouring drum.

The shaft 81 has a lsprocket Wheel 83 lvvhich Iis connected by a chain 84 With the sprocket vvheell 52 on the rear axle from which it receives motion when the machine is in operation. The shaft 81 also carries a sprocket Wheel 85 connected by a chain 86 With a sprocket Wheel 87 on a counter shaft 88 which is connected by-bevel gearing 89, 90 with the shaft 91 which in conjunction with the bracket 78 sup orts the inner end of theconveyer casing 77, and over which the endless conveyer operable in said casing and a portion of which isseen at 92 in Fig. 3 is guided.

As will be seen 'from the foregoing description, taken in connection With the drawings hereto annexed, the improved machine will serve to` sever the tops from the beets and to discharge said topslaterally with respect to the machine; to lift the v beets; to elevate the latter; to discharge them through the tubular elbow 7 4 intothe scouring drum 75 Where the beet roots are cleaned from impurities adhering thereto, and, finally, to discharge the roots from the scouring drum on to the conveyer 92, whereby they Will be carried to some suitable re-,I/

ceptacle. The entiremachine is of simple construction; it is propelled, and its moving parts are all actuated by a motor mounted on the frame of the machine and which mayfbe an ordinary internal combustion motor of simple and inexpensive construction. It isobviousth-at While in the accompanying drawlngs a machine has been shown Which isadapted to operate on a single row of beets, the various instrumentalities ofthe machine may readily be multiplied so as to enable one machinel to operate on two or more rows of beets simultaneously, thereby saving time and labor. p

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a beet harvester, a Wheel supported frame, a pair of ground engaging beet lifting elements, a shaft exten ng transversely through said' lifting elements, limbs connected with the ,shaftand guided on the frame for vertical movement, av sleeve supported for vertical movement in advance of each of the limbs, a bar connecting said sleeve with the limb, an inclined brace connecting the bar With the' lifting element associated with the limb, `and means for effecting vertical adjustment simultaneously of the front and rear ends of the bar to thereby vertically adjust the lifting element.

3. In a beet harvester, a wheel'supported frame, a pair of liftingelements, a shaft extending transversely through said ele ments, limbs. connected with the shaft and guided on the frame for verticaladjustment, means for effecting vertical adjustment of the limbs, and the lifting elements, and the conveyer casing having one `end supported on the transverse shaft..

4. In a beet harvester, a Wheel supported frame, a pair of lifting elements, a shaft extending transversely through the latter,

limbs connected With said shaft and guided on the frame for vertical adjustment, al

6. In a beet harvester, a pair of vertically adjustable beet lifting elements, a shaftA ex- I' tending transverselythroughV said elements,

a conveyer casing supported at its lower end on said shaft, means for movably supporting the upper end of theI casing including a cross,shaft extending therethrough.- a driven shaft, and links connecting said driven shaft with the cross shaft, intermeshing gears on the driven-shaft and th'e cross shaft, and an endless conveyer guided over the cross shaft and the transverse shaft on Whichthe lower end of the conveyer casing is supported. v

, 7 In a beet harvester, a frame, a pair of beet lifting elements supported for vertical l5 adjustment, a transverse shaft extending through said elements, a eonveyer easing supported at' itslower end on said transverse shaft, a movably supported driven shaft on which the upper end of the conrveyer casing is supported, and a eonveyer and having their front ends guided for vertical movement, braces connecting the,V bars with the lifting ing supported at itsflowerr end on the transverse shaft, a movably supported shaft' extending transversely through the'upper end o the eonveyer casing, meansl for drivin-g said shaft, and a conveyer guided over's'aid shaft and over the shaft extending transversely through the lifting elements.

In testimony whereof I aflix myvsigna-v ture in presenceV of two Witnesses., K

l/VILLIAM H. SMITH. Witnesses Il. A. CARMONY, E. C. MARVIN.

elements, a' conveyer cas- 

